SUBANG JAYA, 20 May: The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) programme will be implemented this year to expand the public transportation system in Selangor.

The Selangor Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, said that the main public transportation project will be handled by a transportation committee established by the State Government, with the cooperation of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

He said that the BRT preparation has entered its detailed planning stage and not the general planning stage, and is part of the Selangor State Structural Plan (SSSP) 2035.

“The work papers have all been completed, in fact this plan has obtained consent and agreement from the cabinet and it is ready for launch and implementation.

“We want to make preparations to help the people move quickly, faster and for cheaper. No more excuses that the bus was late and so on,” he said during a press conference here.

Prior to that, he inaugurated the Selangor State Structural Plan (SSSP) 2035 at Holiday Villa, which was also attended by State Executive Councillors, Iskandar Abdul Samad and Dr Halimah Ali.

Elaborating, Abdul Khalid said that the BRT plan, among others, involves routes around Sunway and the route from Klang to Kuala Lumpur.

“We are trying it out in these areas first. Once successful, we will try to implement it in other areas too,” he said.

The State Government aims to increase the use of public transport to at least 20 percent compared to the current usage, which is at a rate of ten percent.

Apart from bus routes, the State Government is also focusing on the development of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the development of highways around Selangor.